The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-03-17


our time and experience. to her, she never so
much as made dane . single present. Popu-
lar opinion, which regarded Mrs. Stiver's at
tentions as purely speculative, was not
shocked at this Improbable denouement; but
when Peg refused to give anything to clear
the mortgage Off the new Presbyterian
church, and even declined to take shares In
the Union ditch, considered by many as an
equally sacred and safe investment, she be-
gan to lose favor. Nevertheless, she seemed
TO b, as regardless Of public opinion as she
had been before the trial; took small
house, i'm which she lived with an old woman
who had once been fellow servant, on ap-
parently terms of perfect equality, and
hooked after her money. ! wish l could say
that she did this discreetly; but the fact is,
she blundBfed. The same dogged per-
sistence she had displayed in claiming her
rights was visible in her unsuccessful VEN
lures She sunk $200, 900 in a worn out
shaft originally projected by the deceased
testator; she prolonged the miserable exist
ence of The Rockville Vanguard long after
It had ceased to interest even its enemies;
she kept the doors Of the Rockville hotel
open when its custom had departed; she lost
the cooperation and favor of a fellow CAPT
talist through atriaing misunderstanding, in
which she was derelict and impenitent; she
bad three lawsuits on her hands that could
have been settled for trifie. note these
defects to show that she was by no means a
heroine Iquote her affair with Jack Fol-
iasbee to show she was scarcely the average
ppnla4 .-.... III.
That handsome, graceless vagabond had
struck the outskirts of Red Dog In a cyclone
Of dissipation, which left him stranded but
still rather interesting wreck i'm ruinous
cabin not far from Peg Moffat's virgin
bower. Pale, crippled from excuses, with
voice quite tremulous from sympathetic
emotion, more or less developed by stini4.
lants, he fingered languidly, with much time
on his bands and only a few neishbors. In
this fascinating kind of general deshabille Of
morals, dress and the emotions he ap-
Feared before Peg Moffat. More than
that, he occasionally lil9pe4 With
her through the settlement. The
critical eye Of lied Dog took in the singular
pairs-Jack, yvoluble, suffering. apparently
overcome ny remorse, conscience, vitupera-
ton and disease; and Peg, open mouthed, high
colored, awkward, yet delighted; and the
critical eye OF Red Dog, seeing this, winked
laeaniingiy At RockvIlle. No one knew what
passed between them, but ali observed thai
one summer day Jack drove down the main
street OF Red Dog In an open buggy, with the
a tribe shaky, held the reins with something
of his old dash; and Mistress Peggy, in an
enormous bonnet, with pearl eolored ribbons
. shade darker than her hair, Eelding IN her
short, pink gloved fingers q bouquet Of yellow
roses, absolutely glowed crimson in distressful
qualification over the dashboard. So these
two Jared on, out Of the busy settlement into
the woods, against the rosy sunset. Possibly
it was not pretty picture; nevertheless, as
the dim aisles of the solemn pines opened to
receive them, miners leaned upon their spades
end mechanics stamped IN their tell 70 Look
after them, The critical eye of Red Dog,
perhaps from the sun, perhaps from inc 1act
tnas IL haa ieseit once oee" young anu oissl-
pa'eo' LOOK Oh hinuiy ii'oiS'ure Us IL saIeu
The moon was high when they returned.
Those who mad waited 10 congratulate Jack
on this near prospect OF favorable change in
his fortunes were chagrined to ind that, hays
ing seen the lady safe hame, pc pad himself
departed from tied Dog. Nothing was to be
CLEANED from reg, who, on the next day and
ensuing days, Kept The even tenor OF her way,
sunk thousand or two moro in unsuccessful
speculation, and made no change in her habits
OF personal economy. Weeks passed without
any appareAt seqIel 70 This romantic idyl
Nothing was known definitely until Jack,
month later, turned up in Sacramento, with
q billiard cue in bis hand, and heart over
charged with indignant emotion IL don't
mind saying to you, gentlemen, in conf
tence,h said Jack to circle Of sy,npatbizins
players don't mind telling you regarding
this thing, that | was as soft on that freckle9l
faced, red eyed, tallpw haired gal as IT she'd
been--a-a-an actress. And don't mind
saving. 1entlsgcn, that, as far as under
stand women, She was jus. as soft on me,
You kin laugh: but it's SO. One day l took
her out buggy riding-in style, too--and ont
on the road 1 offerea to do the square thing,
inst rs II she'd been a lady -oifered To marry
her then and there. And what did she dol" said
Jack, with hysterical laugh. "Why, blank
it ALT offered me SIS a week allowance-pay
TO he stopped when wasn't at homer The
roar Of laughter that greeted this frank con-
Sssion was broken by quiet voice asking,
And what did you sayp'-"Sayp screamed
Jack, II just told her to go to - with her
money. "-"Thcy say" continued the quiet
voice, "that you asked her for the loan Of
$50 TO get you to Sacramento-and that you
got il. n-"who says so!' roared Jack. SHOW
me the blank liar" There was dead silence.
Then the rpossessor of the quiet voice, Mr..
Jack HamiiD. languidly reached under the
table, took the chalk, and, rubbing the end
OF bis billiard cue, began with gentle gravity;
at was an old friend of mine in Sacramento,
q man with wooden leg, game eye, three
fingers on his right hand and consumptive
cough Being unable, naturally, to back
himself, he leaves things to me- So, for the
sake Of argument" continued lIamn, sud.
denly laying down his cue and fixing bis
wicked black eyes on the speaker, esaY it's
moi" E
lam afraid that this story, whether truth.